Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-14

| Mass, on september 8, 1907. he
graduated from Harvard University in
1927, and practiced at the bar in New
London, CT. for two years Later, re-
solving upon q change of profession,
he entered the General Theological
SEMINARY in New York city and gradu-
ated in 1887. He was ordsind deacon
in Trinity church. Norwich, Ct, in
MAY, 1887. and in the following year
was ordained priest in Christ church,
Hartford, CT. His first services as q
rector were at Cavalry church, Rock
dale, Pa, in September, 1888.
He was consecrated first bishop OF
Delaware in st. Paul's church, New
York. October IL, 1841. Prior to this
the diocese of Delaware had been I'M
der the ecclesiastical charge of the BIZ
shop of Pennsylvania, but in 1871 q
convention was held at Georgetown,
Del, and it was resolved to complete
the separate organization OF the diocese
by electing bishop. Accordingly the
Rev. Alfred Lee, then OF Rockdale, Pa,
was nominated, and, as above stated.
consecrated in New York. His
consecrators were Bishops Girls
void, Moore, Chase, Brownell, II. u.
Onderdonk, Meade, and McIlvaine.
Bishop McIlvaine, the last survivor Of
the above parties, died in Florence in
1878. The conservation services brought
together five of the eight men who
lived TO become senior bishops Bishop
Lee took his seat in the House OF
Bishops, the youngest Of twenty-one
members, on the day following his
conservation, and was the thirty-eighth
in succession of American bishops.
He first oficiated in the Delaware
diocese in Emmanuel church, Newcas-
tie, on October "a, 1871. AT that time
il was a very weak and struggling do
cese, and on his first visitation to his
charge he found but four acting minis
tiers, only one of them being below
Newcastle, and only seven parishes sup
piled with regular services. The num-
Der of communicates in 1871 was 339,
while in 1881, at the diocesan conven-
ton, the Bishop, in historical sermon,
stated that there had been "a churches
built, 1927 persons confirmed, and the
number of baptisms 10,0S2. In the
Bishops last annual address made to
the convention of 1886 he reported the
confirmation of l62 persons, or nearly
IN e half the whole number of com
mn, Icants that he found on his arrival
P;sb, " Lees seniors passed away
one nv n. u until he stood next in sue
cess;on 10 'be late Bishop Smith, who
had been nrf siding bishop since 1868,
and ON that mr., ~late's death, on May 81,
1884, Bishop Lee succeeded him.
Bishop Lee was not only senior bishop
of his own branch OF the Anglican
but his C, 1nsecration is be-
lieyed 10 have ante-da, cd that of any
bishop then living of 'oe Anglican
Roman, and Greek churches.
Since 1841 103 bishops ave been
81 of these have lied, and
have resigned their jurisdictio'us' SO
that Bishop Lees colleagues in the last
session Of the House of Bishops now
number Ga. OF total of al, the first
Of whom was consecrated 1O3 years
ago. there were but II who did not at
some period sit with Bishop Lee in the
Bouse of Bishops.
Both as a Gr@cist and Hebraist
Bishop Lee ranks high, and for many
years worked on the revised version Of
The New Testament issued in 1881. On
lhis committee he was the only member
Of the Protestant Episcopal commu-
MON. A pamphlet on the methods OF
revision and the share of the American
committee therein was published blythe !
Bishop soon after the issue of the re-
vised version. Trinity and Hobart col
leges both acknowledged his abilities
as early as 1881 by the degree of S. I.
ID. In 1860 his own Alma Mater (Har-
vard) gave him that of d. d., and in
1887 Delaware College that .. LII. D.
He sought no h...erary renown beyond
his APPOINTED work, but all of his
charges and many of his sermons were
published in pamphlet form from time
to time Among his books were :" Life
of 81, Peter" Life of st. John"
"Voice in the Wilderness" " Memoir
of Miss Susan Al'ibone,' and Event
full Nights of Bible History"
Perhaps no epoch of Bishop Lees
life was more eventGul, more interest
ing, or more fruitful in honors unso-
licited than was his visit to the lambeth
Conference, in England, in 1873. he
beiDgthe senior bishop of the American
Church present, English people on all
sides hastened to do him honor by
showing reverence to his age and length
of service. He had been a resident OF
Wilmington for forty-six years, and ne
had the respect and veneration of all
classes of people, regardless of sects
and denominations. He was highly
esteemed for virtue, piety, and extreme
modesty, which frequently obscured his
dignity as bishop. As a churchman
he represented the principles OF the
dying Evangelical party, and was
unfinching in his low churchmanship.